Summer
by itabitaboo
Summary: As if dealing with the seething hatred of an entire village wasn't enough, Naruto Uzumaki now has to worry about a certain Uchiha. What kind of game is Sasuke playing with Naruto?
1. Chapter 1: The Demon On Ninth

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Naruto. That's why this is called a _dis_claimer :)

**Warnings for this fic:  
**—Innocent boyxboy kissing. Mild yaoi, my friends. Mild.  
**The following warnings _will not_ be repeated in further chapters. Expect them regularly.****  
**—A rather sad and lonely Naruto is portrayed here. It might break your heart. Be wary.  
—There is also profanity and violence but the violence is weaksauce.  
—Angst in epic proportions :(

* * *

**Chapter One: The Demon On Ninth**

The summer wind shifted blond bangs just enough to tickle the face of the head they were connected to. Tickle? Could this blond actually be ticklish? Probably not. At least, that's what the whole town thinks. It just isn't possible for Naruto to feel something so _human_, right? Bah. This was one of those evenings in which the wind was changing from summer to spring. Instead of its typical warmth, the breeze now carried a biting chill and the hint of rain. It wouldn't really matter if it did rain. What difference would it really make to the blond? Rain or no rain, drenched or dry, he was still himself. He would still be wallowing in this park all alone. At least, if he was drenched, someone might stumble by and take notice of him… probably not, though. They would try _not_ to notice him. He was sure of it and it wouldn't be very hard at all.

In theory, it was a nice day. The sun was dropping further down, turning its comforting afternoon heat into a chilly spring evening. The grass was soft and green. The park was empty, just the way the tan boy liked it. It was the perfect refreshing day but something heavier was weighing on the blonde's mind, clouding the perfection. On the other side of the park from the boy stood the gravestones of villagers passed. They were homages to the villagers' existence. They were declarations of heroism, the brave men and women who gave their lives to preserve the village. Many names associated with many acts of courage mingled on the same tombstones but there was one dedicated to a specific event. There was one tombstone dedicated to the worst thing to have ever happened to the village, the day the famed demon attacked. That stone held carved within it the names of the men and women who died at the hand of that demon. This was a place that people rarely came. Once in a while someone would come and remember a loved one and that's why Naruto chose to sit so far away from it. He didn't want to impose on the memories of those people. Surely, if he was seen near that place, he would receive a lot of trouble for it.

Unavoidably, he had been spotted sitting against the very tree he stood before now staring off in that general direction and he would regularly return to his tree in the park to find hateful names and words of dismay carved into the bark. He didn't know exactly who kept doing it but he figured that it was probably the entire village collectively taking their turns at providing the boy with nasty remarks. They all felt undeniable disdain for him and they made no effort to hide it. He was never concerned about those hateful words turning into hateful actions, though. Everyone was too afraid to approach him. Getting into a real altercation with Naruto was something that no one was willing to do, even if he was no stronger or better than anyone else in the village. Sasuke was the only one who would challenge him. Sasuke wasn't afraid of Naruto but Sasuke also wasn't fond of him. He hated the blond as much as anyone, Naruto was sure. The only time anyone would attack him was when he was drunk and walking home from the bar. A few times he had been caught off guard and given a nice beating. No one other than Sasuke was man enough to face him sober, though. Even then, he and Sasuke rarely came to blows. It was hardly ever physical competition.

Naruto guessed that he should be grateful for that but it felt oddly unsatisfying that nobody wanted to beat him up during the day. Nobody wanted to get close. Yes, it was nice to stay free of bruises but he felt so disregarded that way. At least, if they were beating him up and spitting words of hatred in his face, they would see him. Instead, they all pretended not to see him until he wasn't looking. When he was preoccupied or unaware, they would point and stare and whisper as if he was some sort of freak show and he was. He was a freak show. He was a monster. He just wanted someone to truly recognize him and he would be alright if that meant getting beat up in broad daylight, as long as it wasn't in the middle of the night when he was too drunk to care.

Nonetheless, he remained disregarded and was left to ponder the notes of hatred scribbled into his tree in the park. People hated the fact that he would sit at that tree. They were probably petitioning to get it cut down at this very moment, anything to keep the blond from desecrating the resting place of these heroes. It was as if Naruto contaminated the very land he walked upon but they were right, weren't they? Naruto really didn't have any right to be there. They _should_ cut down his tree and banish him to his apartment. The reason he even came to this spot was because his apartment was just so cold and empty. It was dirty and uninviting and it smelt foreign. It wasn't a home. It felt nice to be anywhere but there. Was it really so hard to believe that he was there paying his respects? Was it really that insane to conceive that he felt bad, that he wanted to offer his apologies?

In truth, Naruto hadn't actually done a thing but he still felt so responsible for all of those names carved into that stone. He felt responsible for all of the little boys and girls who grew up with no mommy or daddy. He felt responsible for those parents and grandparents and sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles that were lost. He felt responsible for every broken heart that was attached to that grave stone which was every heart in the village, considering the fact that the 4th Hokage's name was carved in that gravestone, too. The icon of the village, the pillar of hope was lost to that demon. He supposed that he felt this way because that's the way they all wanted him to feel. They had spent Naruto's whole life making him feel like a murderer.

That's why he liked his tree so much. He actually enjoyed going there and offering silent apologies to those names on that stone and the times that someone would come and visit, he would whisper words of comfort and remorse to those people from across the park. They would never hear him but, perhaps, they would feel those words unexpectedly penetrate them and they would accept them, unaware that they had come from someone so terrible as Naruto. As much as the people of the village would disagree, Naruto _was_ human. He felt the villagers' pain and he felt sorry for it all. He felt sorry enough to spend at least a couple of hours nearly every day at that tree quietly atoning for these sins, sins that weren't even _his_.

Today, 'freak' and 'die already' had been added to his tree. As the rapidly chilling breeze blew through his bangs, he ran his fingers roughly across the words carved forcefully into the tree. He could feel the anger in those words emanating from the bark. He wondered if the person responsible was watching him now. If they were, they wouldn't see it but they would receive the reaction they wanted with a pang of guilt and surge of pain. Naruto was rather experienced at keeping his emotions in check. He was a very emotional being but he learned to let those emotions go unseen when he realized that no one was listening anyway. No one cared if his feelings were hurt. No one cared if he was lonely. No one cared if he was happy. No one cared at all. It was just better to keep them hidden as best that he could, especially the dark ones.

If he showed anger, he would be giving the villagers a reason to say he was a monster. **See,** they would say, **he's just a ticking time bomb, better off dead.** If he showed sadness or guilt or anything else, he would be giving them what they want.** Bah,** they would say, **just as pathetic and useless as we thought he would be!** If he even showed joy, he would be fueling the fire of hatred. **How dare he,** they would say. **How dare he be happy as if he has the right?** Truthfully, Naruto wasn't allowed to show emotions. They would always, without fail, backfire on him, so he would just stroke those words carved into his tree and let his heart ache in silence.

At least, it was _something_, right? They hated him enough to etch their hatred into his tree. They felt something toward him and something was better than nothing. He often goofed off and acted like a fool because the best chance he had at companionship was in his generation. They didn't completely detest him as much as previous generations or those directly affected by the unfortunate incident. Although, _everyone_ was affected by the death of the 4th. The kids at his school would, at least, tolerate his antics. They would acknowledge his stupidity. Everyone else wouldn't even give him a second look. He was sure that this was all that he would ever receive. This was the closest he would ever get to love. He could only ever have people hating him from afar or jeering at him from up close. Either way, it was miserable but, either way, it was _something_.

It was a shame to have been given this life, really. Naruto was a naturally enthusiastic guy. He was happy and full of laughter but that had been taken away from him the day that the kyuubi was sealed inside of him. That day, his childhood, his innocence, and his right to happiness were all taken away. The natural joy that Naruto had borne lay buried deep down by feelings of inadequacy, betrayal, and loneliness, among many other negative things. Only when he was with Sasuke did Naruto laugh from the gut and that was a shame because Sasuke had never once intended to make him laugh. Sasuke hardly ever spoke to Naruto unless it was to proclaim his victory against the blond. Sasuke didn't do much of anything, actually. Any hint of laughter would die in his throat and emerge as a momentary smirk, if that. Any pinch of emotion would lose its way and be replaced with a cold, emotionless façade. Surely, Sasuke _must_ feel emotions. It's just that nobody ever saw them. Even when he was claiming superiority over Naruto, he claimed it in as few words as possible with no emotion at all but he still made Naruto undeniably happy. To have something that wasn't forced with the Uchiha was enough to make the blond blurt out true laughter. Maybe Sasuke didn't like Naruto but he did like the competition. Even if he would never show it, he hadn't broken it off, so he must enjoy it to some degree and that was enough to placate Naruto. Sasuke recognized him in some form and it was the realest form of acknowledgement that he received from anyone in the entire village, as pitiful as it was.

The chilling breeze didn't concern Naruto much as he plopped down lazily on the grass. He could feel raw emotion prying its way up through his core and he worked hard to push it all down. _Perhaps,_ he thought to himself, _today is not a day to repent. Maybe I can't take it. A beer or two will calm my nerves._ With that thought, he allowed himself to regain his composure against his tree for a moment before standing, grabbing his things, and heading to the bar. He was only eighteen and nearing the end of his last year in high school but the villagers never questioned him if he wanted a beer or two or twelve. It was the only place he was welcome. Well, as welcome as he could be. They only let him drink underage like this because they didn't mind a drunken Naruto. He was easy to take your anger out on and many people took advantage of that. Most people would just yell and point and poke and blame and Naruto would nod dismally and continue to drink. Sometimes, though, people would get physical. He was also easy to beat up while drunk. He knew that nothing good would come of drinking but it sounded nice right now and if it allowed him to be spared of the emotional turmoil that came with being him, then he would take it. When he was drunk, he just didn't give a fuck and he liked that. He would never let completely loose until safely in his apartment but all the comments and looks and punches he would receive while drunk wouldn't hurt him as much and that was nice.

The only person who ever had anything to say about this was the current Hokage. Underage drinking was against the law no matter what but the Hokage saw something different in Naruto. He didn't see a demon or a monster. He didn't feel hatred or anger. He felt pity. He understood. He knew much more about Naruto's special circumstances than anyone. He also knew that it was Naruto's own journey to figure out his life for himself and if drinking himself silly every now and then would help him, who was the Hokage to really disagree? He knew that boy's pain. He couldn't bring himself to take the only reprieve Naruto had away from him. One day he would shape up and everything would be different. He just had to have faith in Naruto. Every time Naruto was attacked, the Hokage would fight with himself to not get involved. There was no good to come of punishing someone for committing a hate crime against Naruto. The villagers would only be angry and it wouldn't help Naruto in the end. Of course, getting beat up didn't help him either but the Hokage knew that Naruto could prevent that himself if he wanted to. It was best to leave Naruto to his own devices. If he ever needed guidance, the Hokage would be there to offer it but he could apply no more pressure than that. It was a hard position to take but it was the right one.

Naruto didn't care if it was four o'clock on a Wednesday. No one at school would miss him the next day and there was nothing better to do with his afternoon, so he sat down at his favorite, secluded stool in the bar and ordered a sake. Beer was his favorite but he needed something stronger today. He needed something more potent. He looked across the bar and saw a familiar dark face drinking a dark drink, something nonalcoholic, for sure. Naruto caught the boy's eye while pouring his first cup of sake. He held the gaze for a short moment before throwing the sake back quickly. He winced as it burnt his throat on its way down and the Uchiha broke his stare. Naruto sighed. It was such a shame that Sasuke would have to see him this way. Although their rivalry would be ongoing indefinitely (that is to say, until Sasuke grew truly bored of Naruto's pathetic attempts at surpassing him), Sasuke would never _actually_ care for Naruto. It was strange that Naruto even longed for him to care. Another deep sigh left Naruto's lungs as he watched the pale boy from across the bar. He wasn't sure what it was, but Naruto was sure he needed _something_ from Sasuke.

Their competitions were fun, in theory, but they always left Naruto craving more. It wasn't that he could never win. He won almost as often as Sasuke did but that didn't matter. It was the mere fact that Sasuke would always be the untouchable Uchiha King that mattered. Sasuke was an angel from the heavens, no matter how many times Naruto beat him. Naruto would always be the hated Uzumaki boy that nobody wanted to talk to. He would always be the annoying moron who wished desperately that his efforts to beat Sasuke would deem him worthy enough of Sasuke's love. He supposed that's what it was, then. That's what Naruto needed. _Your love,_ Sasuke, Naruto thought to himself._ I need just a piece of your love._ It didn't really matter what kind of love that it was or how Naruto received it, just having it in some way would be enough. It was something Naruto was sure that he would never experience, though. Sasuke was a god compared to Naruto. Naruto was nothing but the petty dirt Sasuke walked upon. That was all Naruto's existence would ever be and it would be a longer, colder existence than it already was without someone like Sasuke to share it with.

As he drained his third sake, someone finally came up to begin the onslaught of insults. _Here we go,_ Naruto thought to himself. _And so it begins._ It was a young man, only a few years older than Naruto. He spoke with haste and anger. It seemed he was nervous that the blond wasn't drunk enough to be spoken to so roughly. Little did he know, Naruto wasn't even half as dangerous as he thought. Not to mention, Naruto wouldn't have fought him about it sober _or_ drunk. Though wary, the man did not hold back the venom in his voice. He told Naruto all about how Naruto had murdered his parents and left him with nothing. He told him about how Naruto should die and that he didn't deserve life. If he was going to keep living, he should do it outside the village walls. He wasn't welcome. _This, I already know, _Naruto thought. _Unwelcome is an understatement._ After him, there was a young lady followed by two older gentlemen who planted words of resentment on the blond.

By his seventh sake Naruto was feeling especially negligent. Apparently his lack of attention made someone mad enough to drag the blond outside. Once there and unable to lock his swimming vision on the angry patron, a blow glanced off of his right temple just missing him out of sheer drunken luck as he stumbled around. Unfortunately, the next three staggers weren't as lucky. They seemed to throw him right into the punches being thrown at him. Before he knew it, he was on the ground and a second man was kicking him mercilessly in the ribs. It was a few long moments before the men spat on the blond and left him the alley by the bar.

Naruto didn't _enjoy_ getting beat up but if it made his attackers feel better, if meant less blatant hatred in the future, he would take it as willingly as he could. He tried to be the best sucker he could be by staying conscious for as long as possible. That way people could really get their frustrations out and, perhaps, tomorrow they would hate him less. This was never the case, of course, and Naruto always knew that it wouldn't be. They would beat him senseless and wake to hate him just as much in the morning but the idea that he deserved it all was burnt so deeply into his brain that he didn't care. Hatred would be hatred. He deserved every bit of it. The best he could do now was take it like a man, even if most of the village thought of him as more of a monster.

The summer breeze had turned completely to a spring chill by now and it was extra bitter as it cooled the blood dripping from his face. He felt limp and weak on the ground but made no attempt to stand. He wanted to cry but he knew that he would have to save that for later. This was neither the time nor the place. He needed to get up, pay his bill, and make it home in hopes that no one would ambush him along the way. He was content to lay there a few minutes longer, though. The sun was just crawling farther and farther down in the sky, deepening as it kissed the horizon over the trees. It was truly a beautiful sight. His vision steadied on the sunset for just long enough to appreciate it before it blurred again. He, then, began to feel very warm and the smell of... of... of _home_ suddenly washed over him. He wasn't sure what was warming him so or whose home he was smelling but he was sure that he liked it.

He could just barely made out a figure kneeling before him. It was tall and pale... maybe or maybe it was short and tan. He didn't really know but he felt the figure pull his arms through the arm holes of what he now recognized to be a sweater. As the fabric was rustled the sweet smell washed over his nose again, causing him to smile. It was a nice smell and he imagined that it was what Sasuke would smell like. He sighed. _If only I could ever be lucky enough to indulge in Sasuke_. His smile widened. He, then, realized what was happening to him. He wasn't being yelled at. He wasn't being hit. He was being taken care of. Someone was lending him their sweater. Someone was gently lifting him into a sitting position. What? Who could be helping him? He was just the demon who lived on ninth. No one to be noticed. No one to be helped.

His lids grew heavier and heavier. The smell of the sweater was so comforting that he couldn't help himself as it lured him into sleep. He caught just a glimpse of deep, dark eyes through his own blurry gaze. He was curious to know who was being so kind to him but the warmth of his own fictional Sasuke was crawling all throughout his body, coaxing him slowly into a dreamland. _Sasuke_, he sighed in his mind._ Sasuke,_ he recited, his lids growing heavier. "Sasuke," he breathed, letting that last one slip out in an accidental whisper. He didn't really mind, though. He let a content moan roll through his chest just as everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unforseen Confession

**A/N:** There's a layout of Naruto's apartment at the end of the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Two: An Unforseen Confession**

AACHHOOO! Naruto woke to a loud but meek sneeze. It sounded like someone was trying to muffle it and doing a poor job at that. _Where am I,_ he questioned in his head. A chilly breeze blew softly across his face, biting at his cheeks. _Outside. Alley still?_ He cracked his eyes to find a bright street lamp shining in his face. He winced and shut his eyes tightly again. _Fuck!_ _Definitely not the alley. No street lamps there. Maybe I oughta move. Hm,_ he wondered. _I am oddly comfortable, though. I could just stay here. _He moved a leg backward into a brick wall. "The fuck?" he questioned out loud as he shifted his head from its strangely comfortable position, considering he was definitely laying outside on the ground. As he moved his head, he heard a quiet breath being sucked into surprised lungs. _Huh,_ he thought in his head. _What was that?_ He, then, took notice of that fact that he was rather warm out on the cold street in the middle of the night. He moved one hand up to stroke his chest and sent a sweet smell up to his nose. "Nooo," he groaned. "I stole someone's sweater."

A small laugh was heard and Naruto scrunched his brows in confusion. _Maybe I didn't steal it?_ He shifted his head again and then another sharp breath was taken. Naruto finally opened his eyes and squinted against the street lamp's lights. He turned his head to realize it was resting on a leg. _That would explain how comfy I am._ He smiled. _Wait,_ _a leg? Who's leg?_ He shot up quickly from his reclined position and the owner of the leg let out the breath he had been holding.

"Alive, I see," a smooth voice said to Naruto. He was squinting so hard against the light that he couldn't really get a good look at the man.

"Uh… yeah…" Naruto cleared his throat. "Um… Well… Thanks… I guess."

"Yeah," the voice responded and it sounded like it was suppressing a laugh.

Naruto brought up a hand to shield his eyes from the light and, as his vision finally cleared and settled on his mysterious hero, his eyes widened. He was at a loss for words. "Ahhhh… Uhhh…" he stammered, making other unintelligible noises until he decided to give up on trying to talk.

"Well, you're home but I couldn't find a key anywhere on you and I don't even know what room you're in. You were far too heavy to carry all the way back to my home so," he paused to sniffle, "I just figured I'd sit with you until you woke up, _if_ you woke up." The boy smiled warmly at Naruto and sent tingling waves all throughout his body. _Sasuke… Smiling… A real, warm, genuine smile… This isn't real,_ Naruto was thinking to himself_._ He stared blankly at Sasuke.

The attention was starting to make Sasuke uncomfortable. **_Maybe I shouldn't have smiled,_** Sasuke thought in his head and, for a second, Naruto actually saw a look of concern flash across Sasuke's face. "Well," Sasuke started up again. "Are you"—Sasuke cleared his throat nervously—"alright?"

Naruto continued with his blank stare, although his mind was raging beneath. _Sasuke… Here… My head… His leg… This sweater… This smell… This smell,_ he swooned in his mind. _Mmm… Sasuke's smell. _He could feel a smile prying its way to the surface until internal panic interrupted it. _Sasuke? Sasuke! Oh god… Sasuke! Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Sasuke! Fuck. Sasuke? What if he… What if I… Nahhhhhh, I was drunk… Shit__… _Really drunk_… Too drunk__…_ Dread was spreading as he panicked. _God, I hope I didn't say anyth—_ He suddenly felt very nauseous and he placed his fingers lightly against his lips to prevent himself from throwing up all over Sasuke. That would be a very bad impression to make for their first real conversation, not that this conversation was going very well to begin with. Naruto couldn't even talk! _Talk! Talk,_ he willed himself to no avail. He just couldn't move his lips.

Growing tired of being regarded so strangely, Sasuke finally spoke again in a slightly defeated tone. "Maybe this wasn't my best idea," he said quietly. "Um… You just… I'll just…" He locked eyes with Naruto. _He's looking at me!_ Naruto was screaming in his head. _Oh no! What do I… What do I do? Don't blush! Don't blush! Don't… Fuck!_ Naruto blushed a deep red and Sasuke smirked. **_You're confusing me,_** Sasuke thought in his head but he opted to finish his sentence with, "Good night, then."

He broke the eye contact and stood from his sitting position against the wall. He sniffled again and Naruto couldn't help but smile at how cute the pale boy sounded when he did. Naruto was admiring Sasuke in every way. He was admiring the way his pants fit him as he sat. He admired the way his shirt clung to random parts of that undoubtedly perfect torso as he moved to stand. He admired the way Sasuke's tie hung loosely from his neck, drawing attention to the unbuttoned state of his upper buttons and the glimpse of perfect, pale skin beneath. He admired the way Sasuke's nose scrunched when he sniffled and the way his tongue moved so smoothly to wet his lips. He admired the way Sasuke's hair fell carelessly after a long day. He admired the depth in Sasuke's eyes as he caught them once again and gave very little shits as he felt himself blush wildly. He admired the way Sasuke's whole body moved as he turned to… wait… walk away?

"Wait!" Naruto heard himself blurt out. There was still a bit of slur in his voice.

Sasuke turned back around to find Naruto reaching a hand unconsciously out toward him and he allowed a smile to grace his features. **_You're definitely confusing me, Naruto._** Naruto followed Sasuke's eyes and to his outstretched hand and withdrew it quickly. _Don't look so desperate, dumbass, _he scolded himself. He clambered clumsily to his feet as he spoke. "You're… sweater." He slapped himself internally for having said that. _Not exactly what we're trying to get at, Naruto. You're supposed to be inviting him __in__ not sending him __off__,_ he lectured himself.

"I think you really like it." Sasuke paused to smile devilishly as he whispered his own name to mock Naruto's earlier words and Naruto's eyes widened with embarrassment. _Fuck, I did say that, _Naruto groaned miserably in his head. "You sounded quite smitten, so keep it," Sasuke finished in his silky voice. Naruto thought he could detect disappointment in Sasuke's features but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. _This is all probably just a joke, anyway. Sasuke being kind to me. Sasuke actually __wanting__ to come inside. BAH! It's madness._ Naruto nodded at Sasuke as he lost his courage to pursue the situation any further. Sasuke definitely displayed dismay as he nodded back this time. Naruto was sure of it. _But that's probably just him hating me like the rest of the village._ Naruto watched the back of Sasuke's head for the next few paces before turning with the intent to enter his building. As he did, however, he felt the smooth fabric of the sweater rustle against his neck and the sweet smell find its way, once again, to his nostrils. What a sweet scent it was.

Sasuke sighed as he walked away. **_So today is not the day… oh_ _well._** Sasuke sniffled.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted after Sasuke. He suddenly felt very courageous. He had nothing. What was left to lose? "Come inside, will you? It's cold. You're sniffling. You won't take back your sweater and you live on the other side of town. It's a long walk. At least have a cup of coco… no… coffee. You like coffee, right?"

A grin spread across Sasuke face which he downgraded into a smirk as he turned back toward the blond. **_Can't give myself away too much,_** he was thinking. "I do like coffee."

Naruto laughed a combination of real joy and extreme anxiety. Sasuke Uchiha had just agreed to go into his apartment for a cup of coffee. What in god's name was he going to do to keep from bursting from joy or completely giving himself away like a fool? He sucked in a deep breath before Sasuke reached him and opened the door to usher him in. Sasuke followed Naruto to the end of the hall and around a corner until they reached his apartment. It was completely secluded from the rest of the building. Naruto didn't mind that because, even though it was in an attempt to keep him away from the other people, it meant he could be as loud and as reckless as he wanted without any complaints.

When they finally reached Naruto's door, he realized that his apartment was surely a complete mess. "Uhh,"—he laughed nervously at Sasuke—"it's a bit of a mess in here. Actually, it's a huge mess." He knew the Uchiha would judge him immediately but he opened the door anyway. The inside looked as if it had been hit by a tornado. It was a one room, small apartment. Naruto's clothes were flung all about the place, most of them weren't even in his bedroom. There was a tv in the far corner with a hole in the middle. There was a battered couch and empty cups of ramen everywhere. "I forget to clean and sometimes I come home and kind of... take out the day on a few things." Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. Sasuke simply chuckled.

"Like the tv? You should see my house. It gets pretty bad some days, too. This is nothing." Naruto watched Sasuke with astonishment as he passed Naruto to enter the room. "We all take the day out on unsuspecting household furniture every once in a while. We all have our off days."

Naruto snorted as he entered and closed the door behind him. "That's every day for me." He meant this as more of a sarcastic remark. He was used to saying things that he really meant but nobody actually listened to, so Sasuke's response genuinely shocked Naruto.

"Well, I hope I can change that, then," Sasuke said softly. Naruto looked up to see Sasuke staring with those deep eyes right into Naruto's very soul, it seemed. "Everyone deserves a break, Naruto, even you." He finished his sentence with another one of those surprisingly warm smiles that sent tingles through Naruto.

"Yeah… Well… Let's see if I can't find some coffee in this place," Naruto said as he began to fight his way through the kitchen. Sasuke moved to sit at his kitchen table and Naruto asked as he rummaged through his cupboards, "So… Um… How did you end up in front of my house with me?"

"Oh..." Sasuke blushed behind Naruto's back. Despite what people thought, Sasuke had emotions. Just like Naruto, though, he was very good at hiding them. "I saw you at the bar and then I was going to leave when I noticed a lot of people coming up to you and yelling at you. I guess I… I felt bad and I didn't want you to… feel… alone." Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and Sasuke continued uncertainly. "I thought that maybe deciding to stay would be an unspoken act of…" Sasuke suddenly lost the will to finish his thoughts. "I just saw you beat up and decided to help you out."

Naruto turned slowly to face Sasuke. He was nervous with this new interaction, too, and wasn't sure how to proceed himself, so he just smiled and held out the container in his hand. "All I've got is coco."

Sasuke smiled in return. "I like coco, too. It reminds me of simpler days."

With that approval, Naruto began to boil water on his stove. He got two cups from a cupboard, set them on the counter, and decided to sit down at the table across from Sasuke. "Sasuke," he began warily, "you… um… you're too good to be sitting in my house." Naruto's sudden seriousness took Sasuke off guard. "Tell me why you helped me. Anyone else would have left or beaten me up even more. Everyone hates me. I bet you do, too, so why?" Naruto showed no signs of blushing or averting his eyes bashfully. He looked pointedly at Sasuke and Sasuke could tell that he wanted answers. Now wasn't the time for Sasuke to be bashful or reserved, either. Now was the time for honesty.

"I don't hate you, Naruto," Sasuke said quietly. "That demon sealed inside of you has nothing to do with you. I know, unlike the rest of the village, that it wasn't _your_ fault." Naruto smiled. It was nice to hear someone speak kindly to him. "Let me tell you something about myself. I… I live alone on my clan's reserve. Not a single person lives there with me. Of course, that's because they're all dead and everyone knows it. People looked at me as if I was a fragile doll. I was just that poor Uchiha boy who lost everything. I guess I'm an alright scholar, so everyone thinks I'm so perfect. I'm not an angel or a god, though, like they all pretend that I am. I'm not even close. I'm just human. I'm just… me. I'm tired of everyone holding me up to some stupid Uchiha standard. I'm the last one, so I'm supposed to be the model of the perfect Uchiha and I guess I am but that's all anyone sees. They see Uchiha. They don't see Sasuke.

"I was once a tortured child but I hid that in secret because everyone treating me that way made me so angry. I wanted to be something different than what everyone told me I was. I spent so many years of my childhood hiding my emotions because I was afraid to be exactly what they said I was… weak, sad, and lonely. I wanted to prove I wasn't any of that. That's how I came to be the perfect little Uchiha that I am and I'm really tired of it because…"—Sasuke sighed. He had never spoken to anyone like this before—"sometimes I want to cry but I can't now. I can't cry because if I do, it will ruin this mask that I've built. In order to escape that feeling of weakness, I created a mask but now that I'm older and well worn into that perfect Uchiha façade that everyone expects, tears are impossible. Being me is impossible." Sasuke shook his head and gathered his thoughts.

"What I mean to say is that I've always been running. I was always running away from myself. Because I was too afraid to let society be right about me, I never let myself cry as a child. I never let me be myself and now if I stop being this perfect Uchiha, then they will say that they knew all along that I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't hold up but all of this isn't me. I could never win. I could never stop running and that is true loneliness, Naruto. An empty reserve is sad, at times, and an empty heart is even sadder but an empty shell of a man is the saddest of all and that's all that I am." Sasuke looked Naruto dead in the eyes.

"You've known that loneliness. You're a runner too and I saw those people yelling at you and I couldn't make myself leave you there alone. I couldn't do it because it felt nice to know that I was there for you, even if you didn't know that I was. Even if I was across the bar, _I_ would know that you had me there and _I_ would know that neither of us was alone this time. After they left you out in the alley… I… I felt like I had to help you because I've been beaten up like that on the inside and no one was there to tend to me. No one was there to lend me their sweater when I was freezing. No one was there to sit out in the cold with me and I wanted to give that to you. I care about you, Naruto,"—Naruto snapped his eyes away to look at the floor but Sasuke went on—"because you were the first person to treat me like a normal person. You didn't care about Uchiha. You saw me as I was." Sasuke was now watching Naruto intently. **_What is he thinking?_** It was torture watching Naruto watch the ground.

Finally Naruto spoke, without looking up. "You don't _know_ me, Sasuke. How can you care?"

Sasuke gulped hard and spoke softly. "I have never put myself out there like this, Naruto. I have never said anything to anyone like I've just said to you. This isn't typical of Uchiha but this is _me_. This is _Sasuke_ talking to _you_. These are the feelings that _I_ have. I don't know you very personally but I do know your pain and I want to take it away… if I can." **_This is madness!_** Sasuke thought to himself. **_How did I even convince myself to do this?_**

Naruto lifted his head so that Sasuke could see his brows knitted in contemplation, which only served to multiply Sasuke's anxiety, but Naruto kept his eyes glued to the table. "You… You don't care for me."

"I do," Sasuke whispered.

"You don't," Naruto denied. "You can't."

Sasuke could feel his lips trembling. He was feeling some kind of emotion that he was very used to feeling in his life, heartache. Naruto wasn't accepting Sasuke as Sasuke assumed that he would and he suddenly felt like he wanted to run from the room but he wouldn't allow himself to do that. There is _some_ good to the Uchiha way. **_Stand your ground like a man, Sasuke._** "Naruto—" he began.

"You don't know love, Sasuke," Naruto interrupted. "You can't care for a monster like me." Naruto's voice was quiet but filled with sadness. It pained Sasuke to know that he truly believe what he was saying.

"No," Sasuke said so firmly that it was startling, "you are not a monster and if that's all that you think you are, then that is a damn shame. I have seen much deeper than that. If you can't, then you're nothing better than what these villagers have to say about you." Naruto finally moved his eyes to meet with Sasuke's own determined gaze. It almost seemed angry. "You are worthy of me, Naruto. _I_ say so but if _you_ don't then that's a shame because you'll be cheating me out of something, too. Think on _that_." Sasuke almost pouted before continuing. "I know love, Naruto. I know it well. My feelings may have died with my clan but they were not eternally lost. I found them one special day years ago when I met a certain blond bombshell who was determined to treat me like a normal kid. I found them when that certain blond ignored how perfect and Uchiha I was in favor of how Sasuke I could be. I know love because I have loved you from afar for far too long." All uncertainty was washed from Sasuke's face. "I know what I feel and I will assure you that you are the sole owner of _this_ Sasuke that you see now. No one has ever had it and no one ever will. Do with it what you please but I will not wallow in your pity party with you because there is nothing pitiful about you."

Sasuke stood from his seat, still holding Naruto's gaze. Passion was burning deep within Sasuke and he had never felt so alive before. It was thrilling to be saying such personal things. "You have love, Naruto. Whether or not you take it is up to you but know… know that I am suffering in my own prison of hatred without you." Sasuke stared deep into the eyes below him and he reached one pale hand to gently stroke a tanned cheek before resting in blond locks. "If you care to suffer, then you may suffer but know that you condemn me to suffering too because _I am admitting to loving you_, Naruto. I'm confessing love for _you_… not a monster." With that, Sasuke removed his hand and quickly exited. As soon as it was closed, Naruto walked slowly to the door and leaned his forehead against it with a groan. Once safely on the other side, Sasuke leaned gently back against the same door and sighed.

"What just happened to me?" both boys whispered in unison. Each unaware of just how close the other one remained.

* * *

**A/N:** I am posting a layout of Naruto's apartment. He lives kind of in a shabby place. It's stuck back in a building away from everyone so as to keep him from being a nuisance. Therefore, it's not really built well. It doesn't have a lot of doors and it's really small. Take out those **DOT**s and put real periods there, instead. There should be no qualms but if you _are_ asked for a password, you need only pm me and receive it.

i169 **DOT **photobucket** DOT **com/albums/u226/RainbowsWorthRain/Fic-Related/NarutosSummer_zpseb67babd** DOT **png


	3. Chapter 3: Explosion of Emotion

**A/N:** Layout of Sasuke's house at the bottom of the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Explosion of Emotion**

Naruto jumped as the student beside him slammed his locker loudly with a wicked cackle. Naruto removed his head from inside his own locker and sent an angry glare after the back of the student's head. He had a raging hangover and he was seeking some momentary reprieve within the darkness of his locker. It had only been half a day and he was ready to kill himself. It was a day like any other day. People were rude to him, if they paid any attention to him at all, except Naruto's head was pounding with a headache today and everyone seemed to enjoy the pain that they could cause him because of it. Naruto had, typically, been the type to play pranks and make stupid jokes to amuse his classmates. It was the closest he'd ever gotten to friendship but he hadn't been able to see the point in that lately. Making a fool of himself used to seem better than being completely alone but, as of late, he was more cynically aware of the fact that, whether he made a fool of himself or not, he was still alone. It was just a matter of being alone or being a lone fool. He just didn't see the point in faking a smile or cracking jokes that nobody really cared to hear anyway.

In any case, he stashed his books inside his locker and headed out to his usual spot during lunch. He spent his lunches alone in the field. He usually brought cups of ramen to school and had the kitchen heat them up for him. They would always curse and scowl but Naruto figured that they were too scared to say no to the boy. He had lost his appetite today, though, and preferred to spend his lunch watching the birds fly by as he picked at the grass. He was left with only his thoughts and he had a an awful lot to think about today.

He couldn't help but notice that he hadn't seen Sasuke even once since the start of school. He only had one class with Sasuke and it was the last period of the day but Naruto often saw him about the campus multiple times. Today, however, Sasuke was nowhere to be found, not that Naruto was _looking_ for him. Well, that's a lie. Naruto _was_ looking for Sasuke. He couldn't be sure the Uchiha would even talk to him in public but he was confused about Sasuke's words and he wanted answers, even if the answers were a painful confirmation that Sasuke was just playing one big joke on Naruto. Naruto found his way to his patch of grass and slumped down with his back against his usual tree. As he mindlessly picked out blades of grass, his thoughts wandered to Sasuke. Where was he? Was he avoiding Naruto? He probably was. He had said some regrettable things the night before. It wasn't a surprise that he wanted nothing to do with Naruto now. He wanted nothing to do with him before, either, but even more so now. He went so far as to completely avoid the blond altogether. Naruto sighed. It was to be expected.

What had he really hoped for? Did he think Sasuke had actually meant what he said? Was he really hopeful that someone might actually like him or enjoy his company or... or love him? No, of course not. Naruto was dim-witted compared to the Uchiha but he wasn't _that_ much of an idiot. He didn't believe Sasuke's words one bit and the Uchiha's inclination to avoid the blond wasn't surprising at all. In fact, he wouldn't even waste the energy to avoid Naruto. _What does he have to be ashamed of,_ Naruto questioned internally. He was playing a joke on the blond. If anything, he would be revelling in his victory. Sasuke simply hadn't bumped into Naruto. That's all. He wouldn't even spend enough time in the day thinking about Naruto to actually try to avoid him. _Who am I kidding? I could never occupy that kind of space in the brain of someone like Sasuke. I'm nothing. I'm just the punch line in a bad joke._

Naruto looked around himself to confirm his solidarity before sighing heavily. Truthfully, he was sad and now that he was alone, he would allow himself to feel that sadness. He _had_ felt a tinge of something along the lines of happiness when Sasuke spoke to him last night. Just having worn Sasuke's sweater would have been enough to last him a lifetime but now that he had a taste of something more, he was afraid that he'd die without it. Now that Sasuke had said such touching things to him, even if it was all just a bad joke, Naruto was sure that he needed to hear more of those things. He needed to be warmed by Sasuke. He needed to feel Sasuke's love. He needed Sasuke and it was depressing to know that he would never have him. It was even more depressing to know that he had actually invested a bit of emotion in that sick joke of Sasuke's. While Sasuke was home laughing about how delusionally lovesick Naruto must feel, Naruto was stuck feeling delusionally lovesick and it was torturous.

Naruto didn't want to believe that his beloved Sasuke could be so cruel. Sasuke was supposed to be perfect. Can perfect people do such cruel things? Well, in this village, if you're anything but cruel to the nine-tails then you're anything but perfect and revered like Sasuke most certainly was. You'd surely be shunned if you made friends with _Naruto_. Sasuke was only doing what everyone else in the village did. He was punishing Naruto for his sins. Naruto could not deny that he had sinned. He was a murderer and it was the damn monster's fault, the monster that lived inside of him. He had done nothing and, yet, inherited all the blame. He felt guilty, too.

**You are not a monster and if that's all that you think you are then that is a damn shame. I have seen much deeper than that. If you can't, then you're nothing better than what these villagers have to say about you.**

Naruto heard the words that Sasuke had spoken to him echo through his mind. If Sasuke had only meant any of that, it could change Naruto's life. To have someone truly believe that has wasn't a monster would be a miracle. It was what he needed, Naruto knew. Because he couldn't believe in himself, he longed for someone to believe in him like that. As it was now, Naruto wanted only to die. His life was miserable and he was stuck pretending that it wasn't. Naruto couldn't even die, though. If he did then the demon fox would be released and he would be the cause of even more deaths. He was a jinchuuriki. His life was destined to be difficult, lonely, and miserable and he was destined to suck it up and deal with it. If only Sasuke truly believed the words he had spoken... If Naruto had someone like that to share his life with, then, it would be alright. To be loved, that's what Naruto wanted. Sasuke had given him just a sliver of a sight at that kind of love and now Naruto found himself pondering it deeper than he ever had before. He wanted to be loved. He wanted to be loved by Sasuke.

Naruto shifted against the tree and a paper rustled behind his back. He looked over his shoulder to find a note pinned to the tree. He opened it to see the words written neatly in black ink. _Who in the world could have done this? Is this a joke?_ Suddenly, everything seemed suspicious. Everything was a joke. He looked around to see if anyone was watching but there was no one. The handwriting was neat but not exactly girly. He was very curious as to who wrote it but upon reading it, the answer became very obvious. **I invite you to meet me here at eight tonight. We have a lot to talk about. Forgive my absence at school. Otherwise, I would have simply spoken to you myself. Don't stand me up. If you do, I'll assume you're out drinking sake and need my saving.**

It was, obviously, Sasuke's doing but why had he done it? It's not that Naruto didn't want to talk to Sasuke. He really did. He just hadn't expected _Sasuke_ to want to talk to _him_. He had expected to have to corner Sasuke and force it out of him so, why did Sasuke want to meet Naruto there so late in the evening? Why wasn't Sasuke at school? If he _had_ wanted to revel in his victorious joke, he surely would have done it at school in front of everyone, right? Or maybe the joke was just for his own sick satisfaction. _What the fuck does he want from me?_ Naruto wanted to be angry with Sasuke but he couldn't. He couldn't deny the fact that he simply admired the boy. He had toyed with Naruto's emotions for his own amusement but there was still some inexplicable attraction that Naruto held to him. Sasuke was gorgeous. Sasuke was angelic. Sasuke was perfect to the entire village. Sure, he clearly had some character flaws and he was never truly going to be Naruto's lover but he was still the object of Naruto's fantasies. There was an attraction that went deeper than just Sasuke's looks, though. There was some truth to what Sasuke had shared with Naruto the previous night. Sasuke truly had a sad, lonely life just like Naruto did. That only made Naruto long for him even more. Sasuke could understand Naruto and Naruto could understand Sasuke. If only Sasuke could see that... These thoughts only posed more questions.

Why had Sasuke shared such personal things like that with Naruto? Why should Naruto even wait for these answers? _Fuck that,_ Naruto decided. _You're going to explain right now._ With determination, Naruto decided to go straight to Sasuke's house and get it over with. Why wait until eight? He didn't know which house Sasuke lived in but he did know that Sasuke lived on a reservation all alone. Naruto could just keep knocking at doors until Sasuke answered.

* * *

Naruto groaned unhappily as he walked up to the sixteenth house. He had gotten very sick of this search very quickly. He knocked lazily at the door and waited for only a moment before turning to retreat. He was just about to give up his search and decide on just meeting Sasuke when Sasuke had suggested in his note.

"Naruto?" Sasuke questioned softly as he opened his door.

Naruto's pleased grin at the voice fell away quickly when he turned around to look at Sasuke. _Why am I smiling? This is serious._ "I got your note."

Sasuke smiled. "And did you read it?"

"What," Naruto asked incredulously, as if Sasuke had just asked him what color grass was, "of course." Naruto began walking back up to the door.

"Then, I'm confused," Sasuke continued just as incredulously, as if Naruto had asked a question with an equally obvious answer. "It's only one. School isn't even out yet."

Naruto chose to ignore Sasuke's statement. "You're going to have to explain some things to me... right now. I'm not leaving until you do."

"If I do recall correctly," Sasuke made a dramatic thoughtful expression, "I asked you to meet me at eight. That's a full seven hours from—"

"Don't dance around the subject," Naruto interrupted with an accusatory tone. "You're not getting out of this."

"I don't plan to, Naruto. I only plan to postpone it for seven more hours," Sasuke retorted matter-of-factly.

Naruto decided that Sasuke was acting strange. He was situated so that the door only revealed himself and nothing of the house beyond. He demeanor was uneasily calm. Sasuke was naturally calm but it seemed forced this time. Well, that's what Naruto thought. It seemed like there was something happening behind that door that Sasuke didn't want Naruto to see. _Why didn't he come to school today? __And why did he want to meet sooooo late? And now that I'm here, why is it so inconvenient to just do it now,_ Naruto questioned heedlessly in his head as he raised a skeptical brow at Sasuke. "What's up with you?" Naruto demanded.

"Hn? What... do you mean?" Sasuke asked in what would seem like a genuinely confused tone but Naruto felt like he knew better.

"What are you trying to hide from me?" Naruto questioned.

"What?" Sasuke asked in what was definitely genuine confusion. Of course, Naruto still knew better.

"Uh huh! You can't fool me!" Naruto stood up on his tiptoes to see into the house but was faced with only the dull walls of an entryway.

Sasuke watched Naruto with amusement. "There's nothing incriminating going on in there. It's just not a good time. I have other things to do."

"Like what?" Naruto grilled, still straining to see inside as if staring long enough would allow him to see through walls and into the house beyond.

"I don't think you want to know, Naruto," Sasuke warned coolly.

"Mhmm, cause it's incriminating!" Naruto accused, still staring pointedly into the entryway.

Sasuke laughed gently and opened the door wide, stepping aside to allow access for Naruto. "Come in and find out but I must warn you, it is a bit of a mess."

Sasuke was looking at Naruto so innocently and it was absolutely suspicious. Why was he acting so nice? He was supposed to be the prick playing a sick joke on Naruto, toying with his emotions but now he was stepping aside, smiling kindly, and inviting him in. In truth, Naruto had never been invited in to anyone's home. He was feeling kind of nervous about entering, especially since it was Sasuke. Naruto gave Sasuke a comically skeptical glare as he slowly stepped passed the threshold into the house. He kept his eyes on Sasuke as he moved a few paces inward. He watched Sasuke shut the door and lean against it with a smile. Naruto finally tore his gaze from Sasuke to take in his surroundings. Sasuke's house seemed to be in good order or, at least, the entryway did. Naruto felt Sasuke's presence just behind him as Sasuke urged,"Go on, then."

Naruto's eyes narrowed with suspicion but he continued forward to a sliding door that lead into the rest of the house. He placed his hand on the handle and looked back at Sasuke, who stood only a few paces behind him and had now abandoned his warm smile in favor of a blank face, void of emotion. Though, on the inside he was slightly panicked. Naruto opened the door with his eyes still planted firmly on Sasuke. He watched Sasuke's expression display a hint of sadness as he spoke.

"It's their anniversary," Sasuke informed softly as he nodded toward the newly revealed living room past Naruto.

Naruto turned his gaze to the living room, too, and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw. Sasuke was clearly a very organized person, judging from the appearance of his entryway. However, his living room was completely out of order. There were things of every accord thrown all around the room. The floor was littered with books and clothes and pictures and all sorts of other things. The only thing that remained intact was the couch. The cushions were the only things properly placed in the whole room.

"Uhh," Naruto stammered in shock.

"We all have our off days... remember? I just took the day out on a few things," Sasuke offered calmly, reciting what Naruto had told him the night before.

Naruto half smiled at the familiar remark. "All of this... you... you..." He broke off, unsure of what he actually intended to say.

Sasuke sighed and moved past Naruto into the room motioning for him to follow. "Thirsty or anything?"

"Uhh... No... No thanks," Naruto answered as he followed Sasuke into the room and sat down on the couch.

Sasuke moved past the couch to a bookshelf where he picked up a box and brought it back with him to set down on the cushion between the two boys. "It's the anniversary of everyone, today." Sasuke spoke while opening the box and rummaging through it for something. Naruto watched tentatively. "This was the day that they were all killed. Well, most of them," Sasuke corrected himself, still immersed in the contents of the box. "Itachi, my brother, didn't die until the next day. He had pretty bad wounds and they tried to save him at the hospital but he was just too weak. He only lasted a night but I remember being there with him. I was so young. He told me to never forget our clan. He told me to be proud of who I was even if it was hard to be that person sometimes. Then he gave me his necklace. It was a necklace I had made for him when I was three. I remember giving it to him as a birthday gift and he wore it every day since then and he took it off at the hospital and gave it to me. He told me..." Sasuke paused as he found what he was searching for.

He lifted the necklace from the box and held it tenderly in his hands as tears welled up in his eyes. He continued on quieter than before, "He told me to, most importantly, never forget him and never forget his love. I had always thought he hated me. I felt like a burden, as the little brother often does, but I spent the night there with him and he held me like a brother should hold you. He tried to hide it but he was crying that night and it made me cry, too. His poorly hidden sobs eventually lulled me to sleep. I woke to an empty bed and a nurse telling me he had passed away in the night. I was devastated." Naruto sat quietly as he watched Sasuke press the necklace against his chest. His head was bowed down and he was, clearly, trying very hard not to cry.

"I keep it in this box because I'm afraid to lose it or break it," Sasuke continued, barely above a whisper. "I don't know what I would do without it. It's the most precious thing I have." Sasuke loosed a steadying sigh. "Anyway," he started as he wiped his eyes and looked around the room. "I couldn't find the box and I wanted to wear it to visit his grave so I kind of started freaking out. Then, I just got angry... angry because this day always makes me angry. I ended up just destroying everything. It happens almost every year." Sasuke smiled as he reminisced. "It always makes me laugh afterward, too. It's so like Itachi. He was one to trash his room every time he failed a mission or something and, afterwards, I would come in and we would laugh as I helped him clean up. Those were of the few times I didn't feel annoying to him. Turns out the box was right where it should be on the bookshelf." Sasuke finally looked at Naruto. "Guess I just subconsciously wanted to ruin some things. I feel better now."

Naruto offered a meek smile that paled in comparison to Sasuke's oddly beaming face. Naruto was unsure of how to respond, especially since Sasuke was strangely happy right now. Naruto was inwardly angry that he had chosen to come at this time. Sasuke seemed so vulnerable and genuine and it was very hard to be angry with him about their encounter now. What the fuck was he supposed to do? Sasuke could sense Naruto's struggle to react properly. "Anyway," he said. "I'm supposed to visit their graves today. Preferably, before it gets too late or crowded. I always take this day off school to pay my respects before everyone from school gets out and comes to gawk at me and feel sorry for me."

Naruto nodded, "Well... I... I should have... Uhh..."

"That's why I wrote down eight, Naruto, and not one," Sasuke's voice was slightly reprimanding but his smile was genuine.

"Uh... yeah..." Naruto agreed.

Sasuke laughed. Naruto's current state of uncertainty was quite amusing. "It's fine. Just come with me," Sasuke offered lightly.

"What?" Naruto's mind was racing. _Why is he inviting me to do something so personal? And why is he so calm about what happened last night? He's not even phased at all. Seeing me isn't awkward to him one bit. Even if it is just a joke, he should be feeling something!_

"Come with me," Sasuke restated.

"Why would you ask me to do that?" Naruto asked.

"Why not? I'd like to share it with someone important," Sasuke responded plainly.

_Important!? What!? The game is still going on? This is going too far!_ "Well... that's... that's enough..." Naruto said irritably. Though, he was struggling to get the words out. It was hard to be firm with someone who was grieving for the loss of an entire clan. "Your game is... it's over. Cut it out. That's all."

Sasuke stared at him blankly before erupting in laughter. _What the fuck,_ Naruto was cursing him in his head. _How could he be so careless?! _"Naruto," Sasuke began, "I'm not playing any games. I _want_ you to come. You _are_ important."

"Yes... Yes you are! You're playing games and I'm tired of it!" Naruto exclaimed. He was actually quite proud of his backbone. He never would have spoken like this to Sasuke before, not that it was particularly easy now but it felt good to stick up for himself, nonetheless.

"No... I'm not," Sasuke insisted. "Come on, Naruto. Just come with me," Sasuke pleaded, slapping Naruto's knee playfully.

_Why is he acting so friendly with me? This is far beyond a game now!_ Questions were burning his brain. "What is your problem Uchiha?!" Naruto exploded. "Seriously! How much of a fuck can one person be!?"

Sasuke's breath hitched and he stared at Naruto in astonishment. "Wh-What... the... fuck...?"

* * *

**A/N:** Here's a layout of Sasuke's place. Take out the **DOT**s and replace them with periods, bruh. I also want to point out that the entryway is just that, just an entryway. It wouldn't be decorated or anything. Just a place for shoes and coats and umbrellas and whatever and there'd be like a bench or two to sit on for convenience purposes and maybe a small table. That's all. Also, Sasuke lives in a house. That's why there are so many windows. I know it's a one bedroom house and you may be wondering why if he lived on the reservation with his family but you'll find out later on in the story :) There should be no such asking but if you are asked for a password, pm me for the deets and I'll shall spill.

i169 **DOT **photobucket **DOT **com/albums/u226/RainbowsWorthRain/Fic-Related/SasukesSummer_zps3c7a1b75 **DOT **png


	4. Chapter 4: Marry Me

**Warning:** This is where you'll find the innocent boyxboy kiss :) Enjoy it.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Marry Me**

"I'm… uh… sorry," Sasuke offered but he sounded uncertain. Clearly, he was unsure of whether he should apologize or not.

Naruto stared angrily at Sasuke from his position on the couch. He had to work very hard to maintain his frustration with Sasuke. Sasuke looked so innocently shocked and caught off guard. _Was_ he truly shocked? Had he not expected an outburst from Naruto? No, surely, he did. He must have, considering he had been playing such a dangerous game with Naruto's feelings! Sasuke should have seen this coming and Naruto should _not_ feel bad for yelling at him, even if it _was_ on the anniversary of his clan's death, and Naruto should _not_ fall prey to that feigned shock. Sasuke deserved this! Nonetheless, Naruto's next words came out meeker than he intended.

"F-Fuck you…" Naruto said pathetically. His expression was wavering somewhere between mad and concerned.

Sasuke took a few long moments to analyze Naruto before standing abruptly from the couch. Offering no response, he walked across the room and into the entryway where Naruto could hear him rustling around. Naruto looked down at his feet and realized that he hadn't taken his shoes off. He cursed himself for being so rude. It was terrible etiquette. _What? Fuck that_, Naruto berated internally. He cursed himself for cursing himself. _Fuck etiquette! Fuck Sasuke's floors! Fuck Sasuke!_ Why was Naruto feeling bad about dirtying up Sasuke's floor right now? Naruto stood to follow Sasuke. If Sasuke was leaving, Naruto wasn't going to sit in Sasuke's living room and make him come retrieve him. Naruto convinced himself that he was eager to go. In fact, it would be a pain to have to stop and bid Sasuke goodbye.

As he crossed the room, Naruto scuffed dirt into Sasuke's floor and a satisfied smile crept across his lips. When he reached the entryway door, he peered around the corner and saw Sasuke tying a shoelace, looking crestfallen. Naruto felt a surge of guilt, went back to the spot he had scuffed up, and tried to clean it up. It was hard to clean up dirt with the bottom of a dirty shoe, though, so he got down on the ground, with some effort, and cleaned it up with the hem of his shirt. When he stood again, he felt like a complete fool but was determined to appear unmoved as he walked into the entryway, like had _hadn't_ just lain on the ground to clean up that scuff.

"I suppose you're going about your business and I…" Naruto paused as Sasuke stood and regarded him, his expression showing an annoying interest in Naruto's words, "am going to go about mine."

Instead of speaking to Naruto, Sasuke removed a light jacket from his coat rack and checked the watch on his wrist. He pulled on the jacket and opened his front door, motioning for Naruto to exit. Naruto knew he was supposed to be angry with Sasuke, and Sasuke should be angry with Naruto for having yelled. Yet, Naruto still felt put out at the impersonal gesture. Suddenly, Naruto wanted nothing more than to stay in Sasuke's house and in his company. With a small huff, Naruto reluctantly exited. Sasuke followed him but didn't bother to pause and lock his door. He _did_ live on a reservation in its own corner of town all alone.

Sasuke walked closely behind Naruto all the way down from his home. Naruto glanced over his shoulder and flitted a confused eye at Sasuke before turning left to go back home, knowing Sasuke would turn right to go to the graveyard. To Naruto's surprise, he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and begin to pull him back in the other direction. Sasuke didn't speak, and Naruto didn't fight.

"What are you doing?" Naruto questioned, but Sasuke didn't respond. He simply kept dragging Naruto along at a leisurely pace. "I said, _what are you doing_?" Naruto repeated emphatically, but Sasuke ignored him. "I… I don't want to go!" Naruto exclaimed.

"And, yet, you're not fighting," Sasuke replied quietly.

Naruto looked down at the spot where Sasuke's fingers wrapped around Naruto's wrist and smiled. Then he instantly cursed himself aloud for smiling, causing Sasuke to throw him a sideways glance. Sasuke offered no further response, though. Sasuke's face was blank and emotionless. Naruto sighed in defeat. How Sasuke had managed to bring Naruto from enraged to completely confused and then to accepting was beyond Naruto's knowledge. Sasuke hadn't said anything between his apology and his comment of only a few moments ago and, yet, he had managed to have Naruto reeling through a great deal of emotions.

Naruto _should_ be angry but he wasn't. He was starting to think that maybe it wasn't all a joke. Sasuke had seemed truly shocked at Naruto's accusation that it was. Sasuke didn't seem to understand _why_ Naruto would say that. Sasuke was good at many things, but he couldn't be _that_ good of an actor. That was true shock, the kind that you can't fake. Perhaps, Sasuke _did_ mean what he had said. If that was the case, then Naruto was confused. Sasuke, of all fucking people, had confessed an absolutely ridiculous and damn near impossible infatuation for him. Sasuke must be delusional. Naruto couldn't help the joyous butterflies flitting around in his stomach, though. If Sasuke had meant those words, then Naruto couldn't pretend that he hadn't wanted to hear them.

Naruto was hoping that Sasuke would never let go of his wrist. Thankfully, he didn't. They walked all the way to the graveyard that way. Naruto wasn't resisting but, instead, was walking beside Sasuke so that Sasuke's continued hold on Naruto wasn't necessary. Yet, Sasuke held on, regardless. He kept a gentle, loose grip on Naruto which Naruto could have removed himself from at any time, had he wanted to. Naruto hadn't wanted to, though. He was enjoying the feel of Sasuke's skin on his own.

Naruto offered up a great deal of smirks and frowns and mixtures of the two on the walk to the graveyard which were due to his mind running through different scenarios and trying to figure this whole mess out. Sasuke's face, however, remained stoically plain the entire time. He didn't offer even the slightest flicker of emotion, not even at the stares from the villagers that his blond company had earned him, none of which failed to fixate on the point at which their bodies were connected. Sasuke held on, though, never releasing Naruto's wrist. Naruto wasn't even sure Sasuke could see his surroundings, to be honest.

Eventually, they reached the graveyard and it was empty. This came as a relief to Naruto. Every time he had ever been caught in the yard had earned him a great speech from the Hokage himself, talking about how Naruto had to be respectful of the villagers' wishes for Naruto to stay away from their families' graves. Naruto had once tried to argue that the villagers should be respectful of Naruto's wishes to pay his respects to whomever he chose to pay them to but it was pointless. He was pretty much banned from the graveyard without an official ban. Thus, he came into his relationship with his conveniently placed, and often abused, tree overlooking the yard where he paid his respects almost daily. Now, however, Naruto was walking right into the yard and he hoped that, had he been spotted, Sasuke's presence would exempt him from any angry shouting or alerts to the Hokage. Sasuke was leading Naruto there. Naruto hadn't done it on his own accord. Hopefully, that would be enough of an excuse to shunt off the blame.

Sasuke lead Naruto all the way to the back of the yard, through a tall gateway made of creepy, rusty, old metal and into a section that, though, the gates appeared to never actually be closed, looked as if it was never disturbed. It was a section Naruto had never seen before. However, when Sasuke brought Naruto all the way to the back corner of it, Naruto could see his tree through a small hole in the bushes to his left. Naruto was straining to see if it had acquired any new curses in his absence but it was too far away to see properly. Sasuke brought Naruto back from his fruitless scrutinization with a deep sigh. Naruto noticed, at once, that Sasuke had released his wrist and was, finally, back to himself. Naruto didn't pay any attention to exactly where they were standing but, instead, smiled at Sasuke as he attempted to make a joke.

"Back from the beyond, are we?" Sasuke did not react as expected to the joke, though. He slowly turned his face to Naruto's. "I mean," Naruto began to explain. "because you were so absent the whole time." Sasuke continued to stare and Naruto continued to babble. "You were like—"

"I get it," Sasuke interrupted quietly and, then, looked back down at the grave they stood before. "Jokes aren't funny when you have to explain them." Naruto muttered about not having to explain if Sasuke would have just laughed but Sasuke ignored it and spoke again after a short moment. "This is the Uchiha section," he explained, moving his handle around in a sloppy circle to gesture to their surroundings but not looking up. The section held somewhere near a couple of hundred graves. It was enclosed in fencing made of the same old metal as the gateway. Just outside of the fence grew heavy thickets of bushes and trees so that no one could see inside. The only exception, of course, was the spot that they now stood beside where a small section of the fence had a hole rusted through it and the bushes had thinned out enough to allow Naruto to see his tree. Naruto took all of this in and, then, turned his attention back to Sasuke who continued speaking when he sensed Naruto's attention returning to him. He still did not look up from the ground, though.

"This is where the whole clan is buried. My parents are over there," he explained, waving a hand vaguely to their right somewhere but Naruto did not stop looking at Sasuke to see where. "Me… I'm right here," Sasuke said and he shifted his eyes, pointing to an empty plot big enough for one to their left, right in front of the rusted hole in the fence.

"You?" Naruto questioned. "You're not dead, though," he pointed out unnecessarily.

Sasuke, actually, laughed and it caught Naruto off guard but he was glad to see the pale boy smile. Sasuke had been so sullen up until now and reasonably so. It was good to hear him laughing and sounding so genuine at that, even if he was standing in the graveyard where literally all of his clansmen were buried. "No, Naruto," Sasuke said, turning a smile to the blond, "I'm not but, someday, I will be."

Naruto smiled humorlessly back at Sasuke. The words weren't exactly amusing. Sasuke was talking about himself dying and that made Naruto uneasy. Noticing Naruto's faltering smile, Sasuke followed immediately in suit and let his own smile fall away.

"In any case," Sasuke continued, looking back down at the ground, "I'm the last Uchiha and this is where I'll be buried. I'll be here, next to Itachi."

Naruto, finally, looked down at the grave before them. The stone had Itachi's name etched into it and a small inscription read below, **Beloved brother, never to be forgotten**. This prompted Naruto to look at the grave to the right, curious as to what _it_ said, and then to the graves behind him. He noticed, though, that they all simply said the name of the person buried there. "So… impersonal," he stated quietly.

"That's because it was all left up to me and I was in no position, as a devastated child, to decide what to say about over a hundred of my clansmen," Sasuke explained, still looking down upon Itachi. "Itachi was the only one I could say anything about and it was as simple as this."

Naruto turned his attention back to the stone. As he did, Sasuke knelt on the grass in front of it and placed both of his hands on the stone. He sat for a long moment in silence like that and, then, Naruto noticed that he was in tears. Instead of questioning what to do like he had done back at Sasuke's home, Naruto knelt automatically beside Sasuke and immediately took Sasuke in his arms. Sasuke did not hesitate to lean into the embrace. He wrapped one arm around Naruto's waist and left the other to caress the cold stone before them. After quite a few long moments like that, Sasuke moved away from the blond and pursued a drastic change in subject, perhaps, to escape his grief.

"Naruto… how…" Sasuke paused as he wiped tears from his face using the sleeve of his jacket, "how could you think I was so cruel?" he asked bluntly, staring at the blond.

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion. "I… did I say that?"

"You did a fair job of implying it," Sasuke replied.

"I… um…" Naruto's face blushed and he scratched the back of his head nervously. He hadn't been aware that he was whispering words of what he assumed would be comfort to Sasuke until Sasuke had clutched him tighter because of something Naruto was saying. Naruto stopped talking after becoming aware that he even _was_ talking—due to the fact that, when thinking about it, he had no idea what the hell to say—and, apparently, Naruto had been saying mean things to Sasuke instead of kind things. He now felt absolutely wretched. He was, apparently, absolutely selfish and inconsiderate in such a vulnerable moment. What the fuck was wrong with him? Whether he was angry and confused or not, he shouldn't have attacked Sasuke like that, unaware as he was that he was even doing it.

"When you ask me how much of a fuck one person can be, I assume that means you think me cruel," Sasuke explained quietly.

"Oh," said Naruto, guilt thick in his voice, "I… I can't believe… I can't believe I said that."

Sasuke stared at him, puzzled. "What? You didn't know what you were saying to me?" Sasuke asked as if he was astonished at the claim and had expected Naruto to come clean about such a blatant lie.

"No, I just… I wasn't even aware that I was talking that whole time. I just did it subconsciously," Naruto explained.

"Really?" Sasuke asked, completely and obviously unconvinced. "For that _whole_ conversation you had _no idea_ you were even talking to me?" Sasuke asked, skepticism and disbelief clear in his tone.

"No, I didn't," Naruto confirmed eagerly as if the fact that he wasn't aware would make him less accountable for his words. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed rather loudly. "I do not believe you! How can you _NOT_ know that you had that _entire_ conversation with me?"

"I don't know!" Naruto defended desperately. "I-I don't know, Sasuke! I just… I only became aware that I was talking when you theethed, I mean, seized, I mean, _squeezed_ me! I thought it was because I had said thunthing, I mean, _some_thing good not because I called you a fuck!" The prospect of Sasuke's wrath and the amount of guilt Naruto would feel if Sasuke took his words as badly as Naruto would have taken them made Naruto really anxious. He was fumbling over his words madly and, apparently, when faced with nerves and Sasuke all at once, Naruto developed an embarrassing lisp.

"Squeezed you?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "I didn't squeeze or seize or theeth you. We weren't even touching!"

"What?" Naruto asked, now confused and fighting the urge to burst out in laughter too. Sasuke repeating the words like that was just too funny. Naruto willed himself to focus. "Yes, you did," he argued. "You just theeth…" Naruto bit back his laughter but couldn't help the small snort that snuck through, "I mean, _squeezed_ me. I was _just_ holding you."

"And what does _that_ have to do with what happened in my _house_?" Sasuke asked hotly, clearly, _not_ entertained by Naruto's sudden lisp.

Sasuke's tone brought Naruto back into a serious mood as he thought over Sasuke's words for a long moment before it all, finally, clicked. "Oh!" Naruto exclaimed. "Oh! Thank god! I thought you were talking about just now," Naruto said quickly. "I thought I had _just_ called you a fuck!"

"No!" said Sasuke, chuckling lightly. "No, you were really kind just now, actually."

"Good," Naruto said. "I thought I reprimanded you in that serious moment."

Sasuke's mood lightened as he gave into shared laughter with Naruto. The whole thing _was_ kind of funny but, nonetheless, there was still business at hand. So, after the laughter died in their chests, Sasuke took back up the humorless subject of Naruto's outburst but the bit of brightness that the laughter had instilled in him would not fade so easily. Thus, he was left with a smile that did not quite fit the conversation he was reigniting.

"In any case," Sasuke began, "you _did_ reprimand me before, unnecessarily so, too. How could you think I was so cruel?"

"I… uh… Sasuke…" Naruto was at a loss for words. The brightness in him had completely faded and had been replaced with dread, uncertainty, and guilt. He felt bad for yelling at Sasuke, even though he had decided that he shouldn't; he was uncertain about their relationship and the meaning of Sasuke's words; and he was, more than anything, dreading this conversation. He didn't actually _want_ to define their relationship right now. He was enjoying just being in the same area and not being weighed down with the big question mark that was the pair of them. "I'm not… I'm not even sure I…" Naruto sighed. He summoned up the nerve and said what was on his mind firmly. "I'm still not even sure I believe you. You said some impossible things to me, Sasuke. Before now, we were strangers. I watched you from afar. You've always been the unattainable Uchiha Sasuke. A joke is the only thing that explains it all."

"If you refuse to look past what's easy to what's true, then yeah," Sasuke replied snappily. Naruto only stared in confusion. "The way that you think is stupid," Sasuke said plainly, explaining what he meant.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, offended.

Sasuke continued, unperturbed. "You have, of course, been conditioned to think that way for your whole life, though, so I won't hold it against you. You've grown up thinking that you can only be hated. If someone should love you, well, it's just a joke. You can't be loved. You won't be loved, according to the stupid people of this village anyway. You're damned to be alone for the rest of your life and because of what, some stupid tailed beast forced upon you?"

Naruto made to argue but realized that he had nothing to refute. Sasuke was absolutely right. Sasuke was actually berating on the stupidity of their villagers. Was Sasuke, in fact, telling Naruto that he _wasn't_ on _their_ side? Was Sasuke doing something Naruto had never thought possible? Was Sasuke defending him? Perhaps, Sasuke was right. Perhaps, Naruto was living a one-track life where he never deviated from what he was expected to do. Naruto already knew that all of this was true. They were things that Naruto never once denied to himself but they were also things that he never thought about, to be honest. It was a complicated subject. On one hand, he _was_ just living this way because that's what the village told him to do. On the other hand, he didn't have much of a choice. Did he?

"Well, you know what I say?" Sasuke continued. "Fuck a tailed beast. Fuck it all. Actually, fuck _them_ all!" Sasuke threw an angry gesture out to the people beyond the graveyard fences, certainly, going about their day just fine while Naruto lived such an oppressive life. For a moment, Naruto was bothered with the thought of _why_ Sasuke wanted to talk about this right now. He had made it plain before that today was dedicated to his clan, and that he wouldn't be prepared to talk about this until later, after he'd done all his grieving. Surely, trashing his house and submitting to hardly a minute of tears wasn't grief enough for the whole clan. He had expected to take all the way up until eight this evening before, but now, all of the sudden, he wanted to talk about their love life. Naruto was plucked from his thoughts, though, when Sasuke continued his angry speech. "They've spent your entire life telling you what to do and how to do it. Don't cry. Don't laugh. Don't get angry. And you listen! You _should_ cry, Naruto. Cry because they hurt you. Laugh because you're happy. Get angry because you've been wronged."

"But I'm never actually happy," Naruto responded quietly, "so that's no big deal." This was the only part of Sasuke's rant that Naruto felt equipped to respond to at the time. He felt like he _should_ be arguing with Sasuke but what was there to argue? He was only saying things Naruto already knew himself.

"Because they won't _let_ you be," Sasuke replied quickly, "will they? They've forced a monster inside of you and now they're forcing a lifestyle upon you that would lead anyone to insanity. You, Naruto, are stronger than they expected you to be." Naruto perked up at this comment. Although, his spirits were still down. "You haven't broken, despite the fact that they've been hoping you would for years."

Naruto smiled weakly, feeling a bit proud of his strength. "In any case, Sasuke, I'm still me," he pointed out, pride falling to be replaced with sadness. "Even if everything you say is true, even if I _am_ living miserably because they're making me, even if I _don't_ deserve this, even if you _did_ love me and I was just too conditioned to believe you, I'm still a jinchuuriki. They still hate me. You still can't be mine. None of that matters. _I_ don't matter. Whether or not I want to, I _have_ to live by their rules."

Sasuke's brows knit with discomfort as if he felt Naruto's pain just as vividly as Naruto did. "Yes, you _are_ still you and, frankly, I'm thankful for that," he said, much to Naruto's surprise. "I'm thankful because _that_ is who I…" Sasuke paused momentarily before continuing on even more confident than before, "_that_ is who I love. Trust that I am not your average villager Naruto and neither are you." Sasuke took Naruto's hand in his own. "That's why we'd make such a good pair. I have never looked at you and seen anything but who you are."

Naruto stared less with shock and more with apprehension into Sasuke's eyes. Here Sasuke was, saying that he loved Naruto _again_ and saying it with such confidence and fervor. Sasuke's eyes were genuine. Sasuke had just taken Naruto to the most personal place they could be and had allowed Naruto to console him. Then, he _re_admitted love for Naruto! Naruto found himself unable to find the sick joke in the situation, either. It felt so real. _Sasuke_ felt so real. Tears were welling up in his eyes at the fact that Sasuke's passion to unite the two of them was useless. Whether or not Sasuke's words were honest, Naruto _was_ still himself. Naruto averted his eyes and removed his hand from Sasuke's, as it almost felt painful to maintain contact. The apprehension had won. Naruto wanted to run off with Sasuke's fantasy of the two of them, but he couldn't. It's not like he could count on Sasuke to come to his senses, either. Like he had already said, it's not like Naruto wanted to live by their rules but he had no choice.

"No, Sasuke," Naruto denied quietly, trying not to sound too questionable, "you do not love me. You do not know me."

Naruto, of course, didn't believe a word of what he had just said. Sasuke _did_ know him. In fact, Sasuke was the only person who knew him. In a short amount of time, Naruto had gone from completely believing that Sasuke was emotionally torturing him to completely believing that Sasuke actually cared for him and was the only person in the whole damn world who did. It was all too much, though. Trusting in Sasuke's feelings made Naruto, subconsciously, analyze his own. He _had_ wanted this. He _had_ wanted Sasuke to truly love him. Just a while ago at school, he was thinking about how he'd die without Sasuke or his love but now that Sasuke was giving it to him, Naruto found it impossible to accept.

Sasuke was, unfortunately, right. Naruto _was_ conditioned to believe that no one could love him. He had always allowed himself to submit to the villagers' ideas of him because it was easier than fighting a fate that he couldn't escape. He didn't truly believe that he wasn't worthy of love anymore, not that he ever really did, but he _did_ believe that Sasuke couldn't be with him. _That_ was as inescapable as Naruto's misery. He didn't really believe that Sasuke didn't love him but he stood to walk away from Sasuke, nonetheless. He convinced himself that he should just pretend that he _did_ believe the words he had just spoken to Sasuke because it would be easier that way. It would be easier to pretend that he _didn't_ believe in Sasuke's love than to admit he was afraid to be in love with Sasuke himself _and_ absolutely incapable of truly having him, too. It would be easier to pretend to hate Sasuke than it would be to let the village split them apart. Much to both his dismay and delight, Sasuke immediately stopped his retreat by grabbing his hand.

"_What_?" Sasuke said through astonishment. "_What_, Naruto? I don't love you?" he asked sarcastically as he stood too. "Well, that's news to me! I've been pretty sure that I do for quite a while now."

Naruto shook his head as if the action would shake away the whole situation and refused to meet Sasuke's gaze, once again removing his hand from Sasuke's grip. "You're lying, Sasuke," Naruto began, pushing away the sadness and willing himself to put on a believable performance, "and I won't be—" he began as sternly as possible.

"I am _not_," Sasuke shouted, interrupting what would, hopefully, have been Naruto's good attempt at lying his face off, "and you do _not_ think that I am! Only a few moments ago you were nodding along to my words. You know everything that I've said about this stupid village is true. In fact, you're really happy that I pointed them out. You're happy I've pointed out that _I'm_ just as aware of their stupidity as you are." The possibility that Naruto, perhaps, simply didn't _want_ to be with Sasuke hit the pale boy and his firm, defiant voice grew meek and uncertain. "You _do_ want to be with me, don't you?" Sasuke's meekness seemed to infect Naruto as he meekly nodded a negative response. For a moment, Sasuke recoiled but then quickly picked up on the war Naruto was having with himself. He was saying one thing but feeling the opposite and disguising the internal conflict poorly. Sasuke was both relieved and angered. "_You're_ the one lying," Sasuke exclaimed, "and for what, Naruto? For _what_?"

"Because," Naruto burst out, unable to take the emotional torture any longer and turning very angry, pained eyes to meet Sasuke's, "because I _can't_ have you Sasuke and, seeing as I just can't convince myself that _I_ don't want _you_, I'd rather convince myself that _you_ don't want _me_ than face that fact!"

Sasuke answered automatically, his voice soft and slightly pleading, "Haven't you been listening to me? Don't you see? I've tried to admit my feelings for you twice now and—"

"No!" Naruto interrupted, his voice filled with exasperation. "Sasuke, don't _you_ see? Your feelings don't matter. _My_ feelings don't matter. _None of it matters_! What matters is this!" Naruto clapped his hand roughly to his chest. "What's in here! This _thing_," he finished with disgust.

Sasuke hastily placed his own hand over Naruto's and, before Naruto could fight him, hooked an arm around Naruto's waist and pulled their bodies together. His eyes were fierce and commanding as he said loudly, "What's in _here_ is _what I love_."

"No," Naruto began to refute pathetically, feeling disheartened and weakened by their close proximity.

"Yes!" Sasuke exclaimed. "What I love is what's _really_ in there. _You are not a fucking monster_!" he exclaimed emphatically. He had to close his eyes against the frustration that he was feeling. He spoke quieter and more encouraging when he reopened them and continued. "You are _not_ a tailed beast. You are a jinchuuriki. You are the one with the burden of _carrying_ a beast. That does not, under any circumstances, make you a monster."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue. He _was_ a monster. Though aware of the village's not-so-hidden agenda to destroy his morale, Naruto couldn't help but believe in their hatred to some extent. There was a part of him that truly _was_ a beast. Perhaps, it wasn't _Naruto_ exactly, but it was still inside of him. He felt the need to argue this point, but Sasuke charged on, heedless.

"That _thing_ doesn't matter, Naruto, no matter how much you try and say that it does," Sasuke stated fiercely.

Naruto tried to argue again. Even if Sasuke was speaking the truth (while Naruto wasn't sure that Sasuke was because that beast, inevitably, _did_ matter), they still couldn't be together and trying to convince Naruto that they could was useless and, honestly, kind of stupid. Sasuke wouldn't hear Naruto's words, though.

"These people, this village, none of it matters," Sasuke exclaimed deeply.

Once again, Naruto's mouth opened to argue. Of course it all mattered! What was Sasuke saying? How delusional could he come to be? These people, this village, it _all_ mattered. It mattered that Naruto was who he was. It mattered that Sasuke was who he was. It mattered that they lived where they lived. Sasuke didn't hesitate long enough for Naruto to interject, though.

"You argue that it's _them_ keeping us apart but it's not! It's _you_, Naruto," Sasuke accused.

Naruto's mouth flew open in protest even faster and fiercer than the previous attempts, but he felt that he had nothing to say this time. Sasuke had just called him out, so he closed his lips and allowed Sasuke to continue.

"What _matters_ is you and I. What _matters_ is how we feel," Sasuke went on, growing more upset with every word. "What _matters_ is that I want to kiss you and you can't stop me if I do and neither can anyone in this village or this entire world, for that matter," Sasuke finished crossly.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly at the words, and he wanted to argue again. This was their home. They were stuck here. They couldn't just ignore everyone who wouldn't let them be together. They would all be right there in their faces every day telling them 'no'! Sasuke couldn't just kiss Naruto because he wanted to. Yet, as Sasuke's arm tightened around him, Naruto found himself thinking that there was really nothing left to argue. He wanted to kiss Sasuke too. He felt desire consuming him so he tried to stop the dangerous exchange before it even began.

"I… I… I…" Naruto stammered, trying to protest the recklessness of Sasuke's rant, "I want… I… I want you to kiss me too," Naruto finished. He had fully intended to say something else much more argumentative but, alas, he could not bring himself to deny his heart its most basic desire. He could not deny himself what was sure to be an exchange of honest love. It was something he had always been desperate to feel and he couldn't find the will to argue it away when it stood facing him so eagerly. He wanted Sasuke more than anything. He wanted to be with him. He wanted to kiss him and, apparently, Sasuke wanted the same. Sasuke's lips curled into a triumphant smile before meeting Naruto's with passion.

Finally, sharing a groan of relief, the pair enjoyed the embrace that they had longed after for far too long. Sasuke had been the object of Naruto's fantasies and Naruto had been the subject of Sasuke's secret desires, each so tantalizingly out of reach. Now, however, they could forfeit those distant wishes in favor of a reality where their lips could meet. Their hands could rove. Their bodies could swoon in the embrace of each other. They could be what they wanted and if that meant lovers, then Sasuke did not have any inkling to argue and Naruto did not have the drive.

_If only_, Naruto found himself thinking. _If only this could last forever._

Eventually, though, they did break from the embrace and Naruto fell straight to panic. He, finally, had a taste of Sasuke. _This_ is what he'd be missing when they had to face the reality that they couldn't be together. When Sasuke finally came off the delusion that the entire village opposing the idea (and likely punishing Naruto for pursuing it) didn't really matter, he would realize that this was stupid and that it _did_ actually matter. Sasuke should never have tried to confess to Naruto and Naruto never should have allowed himself to get caught up in all of this. He should have just let Sasuke walk back home last night. He shouldn't have invited him in.

Sasuke, however, was emanating an infuriatingly calm glow. Did he not understand the severity of the situation at hand?! No, of course he didn't. He had made that obvious already. Sasuke didn't falter beneath the glare Naruto was now sporting, though. Naruto wondered what thoughts could be lying behind Sasuke's over-confident eyes. What did he know that made him so sure he and Naruto could be together? Forgetting his dismay, Naruto fell to curiosity.

"What do you have up your sleeve?" he questioned and a mischievously pleased glint crossed Sasuke's eye.

"Something that will keep us together, if that's what you want," Sasuke answered calmly.

"Of course," Naruto whispered.

He wanted nothing more than to be kept together with Sasuke. If this wasn't just a dream, then his deepest wishes had come true. Sasuke was in his arms and he was sure that, though he hadn't known the Uchiha on a truly personal level for more than forty eight hours (and he had spent most of that time thinking Sasuke a liar), he was drowning in love. He wanted to be with Sasuke for the rest of his life, if he could. If Sasuke could manage that, Naruto would listen to anything.

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N:** I realize that I put off claiming that this is the end for a while. My bad. This fic may be extended in the future but it _is_ over for now. Sorry for leaving ya'll in the dark :(


End file.
